More Than Just Religious Norms: Religious Civil Society Actors Between Principles and Interests

In her dissertation, Ann-Kristin Beinlich investigates religious non-governmental organizations (RNGOs) which actively engage the United Nations on the issue of women’s reproductive rights.

Research goal: Identify the potential orientations of RNGOs in order to correct the general perception that exists between religious actors and other NGOs considered to be secular. She carries out her investigation based on the example of Catholic NGOs and goes on to include additional NGOs of other traditions and confessions. The central questions she poses are: What leads civil society actors of a given tradition to assume divergent positions within the same policy area, and to what extent do they do so?